TYPES OF INCISION

1. Kocher’s incision - An oblique incision made in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen, classially used for
open cholecystectomy. It is appropriate for certain operations on the liver,gall bladder and biliary tract. This
shares a name with the Kocher incision used for thyroid surgery: a transverse, slightly curved incision about 2
cm above the sternoclavicular joints..

2. Midline incision or midline laparotomy- The most common incision for laparotomy is the midline incision,
a vertical incision which follows the linea alba. Midline incisions are particularly favoured in diagnostic
laparotomy, as they allow wide access to most of the abdominal cavity.

3. McBurney incision - This is the incision used foro open appendectomy, it begins 2 to 5 centimeters above
the anterior superior iliac spine and continues to a point one-third of the way to the umbilicus (McBurney’s
point). Thus, the incision is parallel to the external oblique muscle of the abdomen which allows the muscle to
be split in the direction of its fibers, decreasing healing times and scar tissue formation. This incision heals
rapidly and generally has good cosmetic results, especially if a subcuticular suture is used to close the skin..

4. Battle’s incision – surgical incision used in appendectomies, with temporary medial retraction of the rectus
muscle.

5. Lanz incision - A variation of the traditional Mc Burney’s incision. The Lanz incision is made at the same
point along the transverse plane and deemed cosmetically better. It is typically used to perform an open
appendectomy.

6. Paramedian incision– provides laterality to the midline incision, allowing lateral structures such as the
kidney, adrenals and spleen to be accessed.

7. Chevron incision( Transverse) This incision a cut is made on the abdomen below the rib cage.